6 Things I Learned From High School

1-  Be honest with YOURSELF. I experienced a lot of peer pressure and friend drama...like all of us do. What I wish I knew is that I have a choice. It really comes down to what YOU are comfortable with and how YOU feel. As controlling and limited things are in high school, there are still things you have control over. If you are in a relationship that you are not happy in and you're only in it because of the friend groups or because you don't want to let down the other person, leave the relationship. You have that power. If you don't understand something but you don't want to raise your hand in class because you feel embarrassed, you'll feel more embarrassed when you fail your test or homework assignment. Always ask your question, because a lot of people probably have the same question and you don't want to fall into a semester of being behind and lost. I've been there. The bottom line is, be honest with yourself about who you really are. You will also find more friends that way.

2- If you are in a toxic friendship or relationship, quit before you drag yourself through a whole year of it! I have been in a lot of toxic relationships and friendships that I wish I had just left in the beginning. Even when I knew it was toxic, i'd still stay because I didn't want to loose friends or disappoint the other person. It drove me crazy and made me very unhappy which I then found myself failing a lot of classes. Your social life and friend groups are important, but so is your happiness.  Leave the moment you know it is toxic. You may feel like you are saving heartbreak if you stay in it, but truthfully you are creating more heartbreak and pain in the long run. 

3- Not everyone is going to like you. This was a hard lesson for me to learn because I was always seeking approval of my teachers and peers. This seems like an obvious lesson that everybody knows, however, we have all found ourselves trying to please someone for one reason or another. Maybe a crush? A teacher? I found myself in a lot of positions trying to schmooze a teacher into giving me a better grade. It's not worth freaking out about. A lot of things I freaked out about in high school I find silly now.

4- You. Are. Fine. I had a lot of freak outs and dramatic night calls with my bestie about things that are now so insignificant I want to scream at past myself YOU ARE FINE. At the time of course these things seemed like the end of the world. We have all had these moments but something I wish I told myself at these times is, "will this really matter in a few years?". Even now, going into college, I find myself freaking out about what classes to sign up for, did I sign up for the right ones, what if this is the wrong major, etc. I have had to continually remind myself that I have years to figure this out. It's easy to be dramatic about things, especially in high school. There are things that are worth freaking out about, but usually, we all just need a breather.

5-  Never spend more than $8 on mascara. It's all the same. Peacock flare, dramatic lash, extreme volume, whatever. Wet and Wild will do the exact same thing...

6- TRY not to spend your money on food. We are all guilty of this. There are times that you can and should go out with friends and eat out and stuff, but seriously. It's not worth it and there are much better things to spend your money on.